Pimp Your Laptop

Thing is, laptops for me or for most SMB execs aren’t add-on PCs. They’re usually not PCs that exist only in briefcases, update changes to a server and then defer to big momma desktop in the office. That’s too much of a pain for most folks. So most times, your laptop is your life.

So if it’s your life, you should make it as comfortable and secure as possible. Yeah, that’s pimping your notebook. I’m splitting this into two posts. This one is on things I always have. The next one will cover things I want.

THINGS I ALWAYS GET:

1. An extra battery. Get it from your notebook manufacturer or from a third-party provider like APC. But get one. And if there’s a long-life (extra battery life) version get that. It may weigh a few ounces more, but they can usually get you all the way through a cross-country flight no matter what you’re doing. Standard batteries usually crap out somewhere over Denver. So you can save your work and pull out a second battery (which also means lugging it around) or you can rely on just one battery and leave the second one in your checked luggage.

2. A travel mouse. Let’s finally be honest and admit what we all know to be true: touchpads are an orcish plot. A travel mouse is a necessity. I like the Logitech V200 myself. No, it’s not a super-fancy laser mouse, but it runs on any notebook with no need for drivers, has all the flexibility of an optical, and it only costs $40 if I lose it.

3. Surge protector. Everyone puts these on their desktops, but few think about their notebooks. Even though notebooks are the ones that get plugged into strange outlet after unreliable outlet. Hit CompUSA or APC’s Web site, find a compatible surge protector and cover your booty.

4. Thumbdrive or portable hard drive. Backups are never more important than when you’re running between your office, your client’s office, home, the airport and any of a thousand places your precious laptop could have an accident. Figure out which data files are critical to your productivity, drop them into an easily managed folder or two, and keep a CONSTANTLY updated copy on a thumbdrive (if they fit there) or a portable hard disk (if you’re a many-gig-type worker). I prefer thumb drives (you can get them to double as MP3 players if you buy the right one) but when it’s a longer trip and I want to take a long a few extra movies, tunes and TV shows, I go to my homemade and travel-worthy external 100GB USB-SATA hard disk (I’ll describe its construction in another post). Hey, the presentation you save may be your own.

5. Protect your data. Don’t think about it as an “Oh yeah, I’ll get that taken care of tomorrow.” Buckle down and do it the same day your Office 2003 apps get installed. First: Backup software for that thumbdrive or portable hard disk. You can buy third-party backup software I like WinBackup 2.0 Pro, download something freeware like Simplify Safe Backup, or just use Microsoft’s own Backup utility (works just fine, you just need to suffer throught he helpful wizard). But get it set up so that thumbdrive or porta-hard disk keep very current backups.

Next do data encryption. This should be on both your laptop’s hard disk and the thumbdrive/porta-disk. (Why? Because you can lose either one.) Utilities like TrueCrypt or Cryptainer generally create one or more encrypted volumes. You access them via an ultra-strong password (like not “p4ssw0rd”; more like “34%Hdf$5gq97@#mk”) Forget or lose that password and you’re hosed.

6. Keep a third backup location. That’s to protect yourself from losing that ultra-secure encryption password. This can be on a server back at your home office (secure behind all those firewalls and authentication protocols) or on an online backup service like AOL’s xDrive, where they encrypt everything anyway. Anything happens to your password and you can call Joe in IT or log onto xDrive and get back what you need–maybe not as current as on your thumb-porta-disk, but current enough not to get fired.

7. Max out your bag. Notebooks may seem like they don’t weigh so much when you’re checking them out at Staples. But when they’re in your briefcase with a power brick, an extra battery, a travel mouse and all your work, they definitely let you feel their weight. And that can be a real pain when you’re sprinting a mile and half for that O’Hare connection. A real pain in the lumbar.

So protect your back and buy a notebook bag that can carry all your stuff without destroying your precious spinal disks. And don’t think so much about detachable cell phone caddies, cool colors or whether the thing can power your iPod–think about your shoulders, your back and overall comfort. Personally, I prefer knapsacks with lower back support belts. Okay, I’m not going to get hit on by any O’Hare flight attendants when I’m wearing it that way, but that usually doesn’t happen when I’m sprinting anyway.

8. Security cable. Protecting your data is a must-have, but it’s good to protect the notebook, too. Fingerprint scanners are nice for protecting access, but they won’t stop a guy from walking out of Starbucks with your whole laptop while you’re vacating your last triple cappucino half-decaf triple sugar death dunker. Belkin and Targus make good ones.

Get all that and your laptop should be pretty well pimped out. Next week tho, we’ll take it to a whole new level.